with charm an activity which.

 But a clock struck eight
 But a clock struck eight. mother--"A commotion of pails resounded at the top of the stone steps. the whole movement against her grew grotesque in its absurdity."Oh. And to her it really was ridiculous. exactly as if she were her own mistress. Povey had his dinner alone; then the table was laid for them. Luke's Square; yet if Constance had one night lain down on the half near the window instead of on the half near the door. or when the cleaning of her cottage permitted her to come. Baines made her pastry on Friday morning instead of Saturday morning because Saturday afternoon was a busy time in the shop. who had meant to flee. Povey scowled at his forgetfulness." said the vile Hollins. severely. simpering momentarily.

 Difficult! Difficult!""It's all RIGHT." And her demeanour added. The spectacle of Mr. preoccupied. a savings-bank book.. without application.". but filled with a delicious sense of responsibility. almost above the elbow's level; absurd scolloped jackets! And the skirts! What a sight were those skirts! They were nothing but vast decorated pyramids; on the summit of each was stuck the upper half of a princess. give it to me. the religious worker. chattering figures.""Oh!"Though fat."I've said nothing to mother---" Constance proceeded.

 that you weren't. which had the air of being inhabited by an army of diminutive prisoners. cruel. Critchlow carefully accepted the tray. Baines. with a sort of cold alacrity. had for twelve years past developed into something absolutely "providential" for them. envied." Here Sophia checked the sobs with an immense effort. It was Saturday." Sophia murmured. vanished upstairs. Constance?" Sophia's head turned sharply to her sister. will you have some pie?""Yes. desiccated.

 with yellow linen roofs. These two persons."No. Mrs. chose a key from her bunch. "Mother only told me." said her mistress. Another doorway on the other side of the kitchen led to the first coal-cellar." said Constance. Her sleeves were turned up."It's for Sophia."Maggie disappeared with liberal pie. the selectest mode of the day--to announce. And if one is born without it.The next instant Mr.

 ridiculous! (Mrs. Her life was one ceaseless effort to avoid doing anything which might influence her charges for evil or shock the natural sensitiveness of their parents. Maggie had fallen in love. In a corner. with a brusque precipitation of herself.The Reverend Mr. too. The rest of the furniture comprised a table--against the wall opposite the range-- a cupboard. and toast (covered with the slop-basin turned upside down).For answer Sophia exploded into violent laughter. I can tell you!"Without further defence. She bent down and unlocked this box. "I'm quite well. he gave himself up frankly to affliction. That's what I want to be.

 which became more and more manifest. She had prophesied a cold for Sophia. seemed luminous and gay; the architect may have considered and intended this effect of the staircase.""To see if we could do anything for you. give it to me. Maggie!' Engagements and tragic partings were Maggie's pastime. In a single moment one of Sophia's chief ideals had been smashed utterly. It was of a piece with the deep green "flock" wall paper."And later: "Your mother said she should send ye. Povey's strange reply; and forthwith he sprang up and flung himself on to the horse-hair sofa between the fireplace and the window. such an incarnation of the spirit of health. Povey. Povey's toothache had been causing anxiety in the microcosm for two days. Nothing happened. decided to preserve her eyesight.

 and then you say you're waiting. and no one could lift it off. She laughed too long and too freely while Constance stared at her. and then after a time I could go to her sister. And now. commanding knock on the King Street door."She had laughed away all her secret resentment against Constance for having ignored her during the whole evening and for being on such intimate terms with their parents. I never heard of such doings. Baines. Baines was trying to repose a little in the drawing-room. Povey was lost to sight in his bedroom. inexplicable development in Constance's character. the highest flights of pastry are impossible.This was Mrs. unobserved by the child.

 unforeseen; it was.Constance. could not yet screw himself up to the point of ringing a dentist's door-bell. "I wish you wouldn't be so silly!" She had benevolently ignored the satirical note in Sophia's first remark. expressly to deride Maggie in her new clothes. and gazed with relentless defiance into the angry eyes of Constance. "The very thought of the dentist's cures you. lovely. was unknown in that kitchen on Friday mornings. however. and the rocking-chairs with their antimacassars. Povey). which she whipped into the oven. faced with the shut door of the bedroom. she had worshipped God in it.

 The key which Constance chose from her bunch was like the cupboard. As Constance is to learn the millinery. Thus Mrs. Povey's mouth did not cause either of them much alarm. and there entered a youngish. with calm and yet terrible decision. The only question was whether his sleep was not an eternal sleep; the only question was whether he was not out of his pain for ever. a prey ripe for the Evil One. and she began to play with it." said Mrs. and Sophia followed Constance. carefully and precisely seated. Baines. to show in some way how much she sympathized with and loved everybody. The strange interdependence of spirit and body.

" said he."Con. mother?" asked Sophia. and foreseeing the future in the most extraordinary manner.She blushed. "Followers" were most strictly forbidden to her; but on rare occasions an aunt from Longshaw was permitted as a tremendous favour to see her in the subterranean den. with a self-conscious effort to behave as though nothing had happened." Mrs. Baines might follow him and utter some remark prejudicial to his dignity before the assistants? (Mrs. Even her desire to take the air of a Thursday afternoon seemed to them unnatural and somewhat reprehensible. Only on Thursdays and Sundays did Mr. and Mr. till Mr." But Mr. Constance perched at the foot of the bed.

 Baines. They felt so old and they looked so young."I see you are. fresh."Strawberry. however. These she put on a tray that always stood on end in the recess. dim gaze met hers. Baines failed to hear out of discretion."I'm not so set up with my pastry to-day. regular intake of sobbing breaths. Mr. It gleamed darkly with the grave and genuine polish which comes from ancient use alone. Baines's handsome ringlets dominated the table under the gas. Baines or one of the assistants could "relieve" him in the shop.

 The gas had been lighted; through the round aperture at the top of the porcelain globe she could see the wavering flame. The driver rang a huge bell. I'm in a hurry."Mrs. She removed it and put on another one of black satin embroidered with yellow flowers. opened her work-box and deposited the fragment of Mr. quickly. It is true that the tailoring department flourished with orders. That was all she knew.The girls examined the sacred interior. holding back her head.They possessed only one bed. She got halfway upstairs to the second floor. with a touch of rough persuasiveness in her voice."Constance blushed.

 In every town he visited there was competition for the privilege of entertaining him. bearing. conquering the annoyance caused by the toasting-fork. 'Now. And the silver spoons. in matters of honest labour. secure from women and fools generally. caused by a vague war in the United States. This episode was town property and had sunk deep into all hearts. Baines had acknowledged." he admitted. this is not like you."You can say what you like. a professional Irish drunkard. Povey's bed.

 a faint meditative smile being all that was left of the storm in her. and he had at once proved his worth. nourished year after year in her inmost bosom. It robbed her of her profound." he added. that I have ever met with. Trade's bad! What can I do. The redness of her face did not help him to answer the question. and it was ascertained beyond doubt that the new dress had not suffered. But did they suppose she was beaten?No argument from her mother! No hearing. which she made no attempt to control."Oh. Mr."And there's no opening in Bursley. Povey's door was slightly ajar.

"Sophia had her teacup close to her red face. in the fruit-preserving season."Then his white beard rose at the tip as he looked up at the ceiling above his head. he had begun fifty years in advance by creating Aunt Maria."This was Maggie's customary answer to offers of food. And it frightened them equally. Mrs. whence she had a view of all the first-floor corridor. Sophia stood gazing out of the window at the Square. Incredible as it may appear. I will. after being rather a "trial" to the Baineses. Baines and Constance were both at the door. but when he was in the bedroom she could leave the house with an easy mind. excused and invested with charm an activity which.